Genesis 31:34

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found [them] not.

Complete Jewish Bible:

Now Rachel had taken the household gods, put them in the saddle of the camel and was sitting on them. Lavan felt all around the tent but did not find them.

Berean Standard Bible:

Now Rachel had taken Laban’s household idols, put them in the saddlebag of her camel, and was sitting on them. And Laban searched everything in the tent but found nothing.

American Standard Version:

Now Rachel had taken the teraphim, and put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat upon them. And Laban felt about all the tent, but found them not.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

Now Rachel^{H7354} had taken^{H3947} the images^{H8655}, and put^{H7760} them in the camel's^{H1581} furniture^{H3733}, and sat^{H3427} upon them. And Laban^{H3837} searched^{H4959} all the tent^{H168}, but found^{H4672} them not.

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Commentary for Genesis 31:34

Genesis 31:34 is part of the narrative concerning the patriarch Jacob, his two wives (Leah and Rachel), and his father-in-law Laban. The broader context is Jacob's departure from Laban's household after many years of service, during which Jacob felt he had been unfairly treated and his wages changed multiple times (Genesis 31:7).

**Themes:**
1. **Deception and Mistrust:** The verse reflects the ongoing deception and mistrust between Laban and Jacob's family. Rachel's theft of her father's household idols (teraphim) and her subsequent concealment of them from Laban continue the cycle of deception that has characterized their relationship.
2. **Cultural Religious Practices:** The teraphim were likely used in some form of domestic religious worship. Their theft could indicate Rachel's desire to retain familial religious practices or to deprive Laban of his religious authority.
3. **Transition of Power:** The act of taking the teraphim can also be seen as a symbolic gesture of transitioning power and authority from Laban to Jacob's household, as these idols may have represented family heritage and rights to the ancestral land.
4. **Family Dynamics:** The incident highlights the complex family dynamics at play, with Rachel caught between loyalty to her father and her husband, ultimately choosing to side with Jacob.

**Historical Context:**
The events in Genesis 31 are set in the early 2nd millennium BCE, during the patriarchal period. This was a time when families and clans were highly mobile, engaging in pastoralism and trade across the Ancient Near East. The story reflects the societal norms of the time, including the importance of familial gods (like the teraphim), the significance of inheritance and blessing within a family lineage, and the dynamics of marriage and family relationships.

The narrative is part of the larger story of Jacob's family, which is foundational to the Israelite identity as depicted in the Hebrew Bible. It sets the stage for the eventual establishment of the twelve tribes of Israel through Jacob's children. The story also provides a backdrop for understanding the later enmity between Laban's family and Jacob's descendants, which is a recurring theme in the biblical narrative.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H7354
   There are 44 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: רָחֵל
   Transliteration: Râchêl
   Pronunciation: raw-khale'
   Description: the same as רָחֵל; Rachel, a wife of Jacob; Rachel.
   
2. Strong's Number: H3947
   There are 909 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: לָקַח
   Transliteration: lâqach
   Pronunciation: law-kakh'
   Description: a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of applications); accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, [idiom] many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.
   
3. Strong's Number: H8655
   There are 15 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: תְּרָפִים
   Transliteration: tᵉrâphîym
   Pronunciation: ter-aw-feme'
   Description: plural from רָפָא; a healer; Teraphim (singular or plural) a family idol; idols(-atry), images, teraphim.
   
4. Strong's Number: H7760
   There are 550 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: שׂוּם
   Transliteration: sûwm
   Pronunciation: soom
   Description: or שִׂים; a primitive root; to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically); [idiom] any wise, appoint, bring, call (a name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider, convey, determine, [phrase] disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out), mark, [phrase] name, [idiom] on, ordain, order, [phrase] paint, place, preserve, purpose, put (on), [phrase] regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set (on, up), shew, [phrase] stedfastly, take, [idiom] tell, [phrase] tread down, (over-)turn, [idiom] wholly, work.
   
5. Strong's Number: H1581
   There are 51 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: גָּמָל
   Transliteration: gâmâl
   Pronunciation: gaw-mawl'
   Description: apparently from גָּמַל (in the sense of labor or burden-bearing); a camel; camel.
   
6. Strong's Number: H3733
   There are 15 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: כַּר
   Transliteration: kar
   Pronunciation: kar
   Description: from כָּרַר in the sense of plumpness; a ram (as full-grown and fat), including a battering-ram (as butting); hence, a meadow (as for sheep); also a pad or camel's saddle (as puffed out); captain, furniture, lamb, (large) pasture, ram. See also בֵּית כַּר, כָּרִי.
   
7. Strong's Number: H3427
   There are 980 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יָשַׁב
   Transliteration: yâshab
   Pronunciation: yaw-shab'
   Description: a primitive root; properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry; (make to) abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease self, endure, establish, [idiom] fail, habitation, haunt, (make to) inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, [idiom] marry(-ing), (bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(-tle), (down-) sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate), take, tarry.
   
8. Strong's Number: H3837
   There are 47 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: לָבָן
   Transliteration: Lâbân
   Pronunciation: law-bawn'
   Description: the same as לָבָן; Laban, a Mesopotamian; also a place in the Desert; Laban.
   
9. Strong's Number: H4959
   There are 8 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: מָשַׁשׁ
   Transliteration: mâshash
   Pronunciation: maw-shash'
   Description: a primitive root; to feel of; by implication, to grope; feel, grope, search.
   
10. Strong's Number: H168
    There are 369 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: אֹהֶל
    Transliteration: ʼôhel
    Pronunciation: o'-hel
    Description: from אָהַל; a tent (as clearly conspicuous from a distance); covering, (dwelling) (place), home, tabernacle, tent.
    
11. Strong's Number: H4672
    There are 425 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: מָצָא
    Transliteration: mâtsâʼ
    Pronunciation: maw-tsaw'
    Description: a primitive root; properly, to come forth to, i.e. appear or exist; transitively, to attain, i.e. find or acquire; figuratively, to occur, meet or be present; [phrase] be able, befall, being, catch, [idiom] certainly, (cause to) come (on, to, to hand), deliver, be enough (cause to) find(-ing, occasion, out), get (hold upon), [idiom] have (here), be here, hit, be left, light (up-) on, meet (with), [idiom] occasion serve, (be) present, ready, speed, suffice, take hold on.